March 17, 2010

One of my favorite movies when I was 10 or 11 years old was the classic “Billy Jack”.

Apparently my parents did not pay close attention to what the content of the movies they dropped me off at the local 4-plex to see included.

Billy Jack was about a “half-breed” American Cherokee Indian, Green Beret Vietnam War veteran, hapkido master who defended the hippie-themed Freedom School and its students from the racist and ignorant townspeople who did not understand or like the school or it’s students.

Though originally released in 1971 I am pretty sure I did not see it until it’s wide and highly profitable re-release in 1973.

The local rich boy jerk Bernard – dumps flour on some students denied in their attempt to buy ice cream because they are indian in order to make them “WHITE”. Billy Jack finds out and goes BERSERK –

There is the scene where the aforementioned Bernard is forcing a very well endowed female student with the nickname “Miss False Eyelashes” in to having sex with him and cuts her bra off and you see her large breasts DROP as the bra is cut away. Trust me very cool when you are a 10 or 11-year-old boy.

Billy Jack forcing Bernard to drive his Corvette in to the water on the count of three and then saying ”1…2….FLOOR IT”. Very cool when you are a 10 or 11-year-old boy. Also worth watching to see how inflation has affected the price of Corvettes.

Billy Jack kicking Bernard in the testicles when he confronts him prior to killing him in an act of revenge for raping the head of the school. Very cool when you are a 10 or 11-year-old boy.

In general it was a very good movie for one that claimed to be about non-violence and acceptance.

Here is the original trailer which will give you a nice overview. Watch for a young Howard Hesseman. At that time a member of “The Committee” Improv group out of San Fancisco but more popularly known a few years later as Dr. Johnny Fever on WKRP in Cincinnati.